Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 13, 1931. o. M. SUMMERS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 30, 1928 Patented Oct. 13 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT err-"ice OTTO M. SUMMERS, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REIBIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed November 30, 1928. Serial No. 322,748.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to an improved construction of evaporators for such apparatus. One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved evaporator construction which is simple and economical to build, and

which is lighter than those heretofore used without sacrificing sturdiness or strength.

Another object is to provide an improved {7 form of joint between a header or container and a removable closure therefor.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide an improved connection between the header and removable cover which will eflectively prevent water from freezing between the header and the cover.

Still another object is to provide an improved construction which does not depend upon soldering or welding to form either a mechanical connection or a fluid seal between parts. I

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

' Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a refrigerating evaporator embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same; v Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a gasket core5 responding to Fig. 1.

Refrigerating evaporators including a header forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, a number of loops of tubing joined to the header for circulating refrigerant, and

a removable closure plate for the header carrying a float-control valve for regulating a quantity of liquid refrigerant in the evaporator, have heretofore been made, an example of such general construction being shown 16 in my application Serial No. 266,897 filed March 31, 1928. It has been the custom to construct the headers of these evaporators of a drawn metal shell usually of brass. Because the closure plate carries a number of quite heavy valves, its construction must be necessarily heavy, and because this heavy assembly of plate and valves must be removably secured to the thin sheet metal shell it is necessary to provide a very substantial anchoring device to which the plate may be secured. It has been customary to form this anchoring device as a heavy forged brassring which is soldered in the end of the shell and provided with tapped holes for receiving bolts for securing the plate in place. This type of construction has necessarily resulted in an extremely heavy evaporator and one which has been expensive to manufacture. Another undesirable feature of evaporators' of this type is that the soldered connection of the 85 shell to the ring is subject in certain instances to electrolytic decomposition. Furthermore it has been found that during operation water will condense on the evaporator and collect in the crevice between the plate and the ring outside of the usual sealing gasket. This Water freezes in the crevice and damages the evaporator.

My invention is concerned among other things with overcoming the above mentioned disadvantages in prior constructions.

Referring to the drawings 10 desi nates a sheet metal shell forming the main ody of the header to which are connected a number of tubes 11 for circulating refrigerant. The particular method of connecting the tubes is not shown herein but a solderless mechanical connection is preferred such as is shown in my application for refrigerating apparatus executed November 28, 1928 (docket T -1927). 85 The open end of the shell or body of the header is formed into aflange 12 which projects inwardly substantially at right angles to the cylindrical wall. Within the header and before the flange is formed is placed a ring 14 which fits against the wall of the header and the flange and is'provided with openings 15 tapped to receive bolts as will be explained below. The ring may be loose Within the header or for purposes of convenience may be soldered to the flange. The ring is of rigid inexpensive material such as a steel punchmg.

A cover or closure for theheader includes a plate forming a reinforcing member which likewise is of rigid, inexpensive material, for example, a steel punching 16, and a cover plate 17 enclosing the reinforcing member and preferably formed of the same material as the header, for example soft brass. The cover plate is rolled or otherwise suitably formed so as to enclose the reinforcing member as shown in Fig. 1 and to provide a plane flange 18 projecting inwardly from its edge and corresponding to the flange 12. The reinforcing member and plate are pierced with openings 19 which register with the holes 15 in the ring 14 for receiving clamping bolts 20. The clamping bolts are threaded into the openings 15 and project through the cover.- Screw-threaded caps 22 are threaded on to the ends of the bolts. A gasket 24 is laced between the flanges outside of the olts for facilitating the sealin together of the flanges. This gasket pre erably is of the same material as the shell and cover plate, that is, soft brass, and includes a bead of such diameter that it fits substantially the outside edges of the flanges, leaving no appreciable crevice between them. The bead is provided with an inwardly extending web 26 of such internal diameter as to engage the bolts and accurately center the bead with respect to the flanges. The screw caps are formed of the same material as the cover plate and are provided with relatively sharp edges 28. When the caps are screwed down tight the cover is clamped securely to the container, the asket, bead and flanges being of such material as to flow into sealing engagement with each other under the force exerted by the bolts and the edges of the caps flowing into sealing engagement with the cover late. Thus the container is sealed gas-tig t by the gasket and screw caps.

The cover is provided with openings 30 and 31 for communicating with inlet and outlet conduits respectively. Conduit connections in the form of an inlet valve casing 32 and an outlet valve casing 33 abut the cover plate opposite these openings, and preferably have centering bosses 35 which fit into the holes 30 and 31. These casings are constructed of soft brass and are provided with sharp sealing edges 36. Between the valve casings a bolt 38 is threaded into the reinforcing member 16 and is preferably sweated into the cover plate 17 with solder, such solder forming a as-tight connection and being disposed witflin the body of the container or cover where it cannot come in contact with condensing water and thus is secure from electrolytic decomposition. A clamping plate 39 which engages both valve casings is urged toward the cover by a nut 40. The bolt, nut and clamping plate form a single clampin means which secures both valve casings to t e plate with sufficient force to cause the edges 36 to flow into sealing engagement with the plate.

A boss 42 is screwed and soldered to the inside of the reinforcing member opposite the inlet opening 30. This boss is hollow to permit refrigerant to flow into the header. A sleeve 44 carrying an arm 45 surrounds the boss and is secured thereto by screws 46. The sleeve has an opening 47 which forms a guide for a needle valve 48 carried by one arm 49 of a bell-crank lever pivoted to the arm 45, the other arm 50 of the bell-crank lever carrying a float ball for actuating the needle valve. The needle valve seats in the opening in the end of the boss 47 and regulates the quantity of liquid in the header.

A vapor withdrawing tube 53 is secured to the reinforcing member 16 in the outlet opening 31 and projects into the header and above the level of the liquid therein.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the'claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus, a cylindrical container forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant having a flange formed out of the body of the container and projecting substantially at right angles to the axis of the container, a ring within the container adjacent the flange, a closure for the container, tension means ongaging the closure and ring to clamp the clo sure to the flange, and .a gasket between said flange and said closure, said gasket includin a bead and an inwardly extending web, said web being adapted to engage the tension means to space the bead substantially at the outer edge of said flange.

2. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus, a cylindrical container forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant having a flange formed out of the body of the container and projecting substantially at right angles to the axis of the container, a ring within the container adjacent the flange, a closure for the container having openings therethrough, tension members engaging the ring and passing through said openings for clamping the closure to the flange, and means for sealing the free ends of the tension members.

3. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus, a cylindrical container forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant having a flange formed out of the body of the container and projecting substantially at right angles to the axis of the container, a ring within the container adjacent the flange, a closure for the container having openings therethrough, tension members engaging the ring and passing through said openings for clamping the closure to the flange, means for sealing the openings around the tension members, and a gasket of material of substanangles to the axis of the container, a ringwithin the container adjacent the flange, a

closure for the container having openings therethrough, tension members engaging the ring and passing through said openings for clamping the closure to the flange, and sealing means for the openings comprising screwthreaded caps for the tension members, said caps being adapted to engage the closure with a sealing contact around the tension memhers.

5. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus,a cylindrical container forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant having a flange formed out of the body of the container and projecting substantially at right angles to the axis of the container, a ring Within the container adjacent the flange, .a closure for the container including a relatively stiff reinforcing member and a plate of relatively soft material covering the reinforcing member and having an inturned flange disposed opposite the first mentioned flange, and tension means engaging the closure and ring to urge the flanges toward each other.

6. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus, a cylindrical container forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant having a flange formed out of the body of the container and projecting substantially at right angles to the axis of the container, a ring within the container adjacent the flange, a. closure for the container including a relatively stiff reinforcing member and a plate of relatively soft material covering the reinforcing member and having an inturned flange dispo'sed opposite the first mentioned flange, tension members engaging the ring and passing through the closure, and screwthreaded caps for the tension members adapted to engage the plate with a sealing contact around the tension members.

7. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus, a container forming a reservoir for iquid refrigerant, a removable closure for said container, a valve casing abutting said closure and a single tension means engaging the closure and valve casing to hold the easing in sealing engagement with the closure.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein both'the closure and valve casing are formed of relatively soft material, and the valve casing has a relatively sharp, edge adapted to flow into sealing engagement with the closure under the force exerted by the tension means.

9. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus, a container forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, a removable closure for said container and a pair of valve casings abut-tin said closure and 'a single tension means or holding both casings to the closure.

10. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus means forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, conduit connecting means engaging the container and a-tension device for securing the connecting means to the reservoir, one of said means having a relatively sharp edge for causing said means to flow into sealing engagement with 'each other under the action of the tension device.

11. In an evaporator for refrigerating apparatus, a container forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, a removable closure for said container, and a pair of conduit connections abutting said closure and a single tension means for holding both connections to the closure.

In testimony whereof I hereto alflx my signature.

OTTO M. SUMMERS.

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